This is the wedding season and both the bride and the groom need beauty tips to look their best on the special day. Shahnaz Husain gives some common tips which will help those preparing to tie the knot.
The colour of mehendi
Mehendi has a deep association with Indian celebrations, especially wedding. The darker your henna design on hands or feet on wedding day is, the more your husband will love you, says an old adage.
Henna and Indian wedding have a deep connection. The longer the colour of the mehendi retains, the more promising a relationship is.
Mehendi also has immense medicinal properties and its application helps in de-stressing, calming nerves and preventing headache and fever. You can get dark colour of henna naturally through simple ways.
The henna paste is made from powdered dry henna leaves. If you sift the henna powder through a sieve or fine mesh, it will not be lumpy when you mix it. Lemon juice is added to henna to make the colour darker. You can mix the henna in a glass, ceramic or plastic bowl, using a plastic spoon. Since henna becomes dry easily and cracks, it tends to fall off in pieces. That is why sugar is added, to make it stick to the skin for a longer time.
Apart from lemon juice and sugar, many people also add coffee and tea water to get a richer colour. The tannin in tea is said to help the colour. These ingredients are added to henna powder and mixed into a paste with warm water. A few drops of jasmine oil are also added, so that the mixture is not too sticky. After mixing the henna, wrap it and seal it. Keep it in the refrigerator overnight.
Another ingredient that is added to the henna mixture in some parts of India is walnut husk, which also gives a nutty brown colour that lasts longer.
Skin care in winter
Winters can make your skin dull, dry and lifeless as we often forget to keep ourselves properly nourished and hydrated. Going for a facial frequently is not a healthy practice as salons are expensive, time consuming and use nothing but harsh chemical products.
If you want to rejuvenate your skin by removing excess dirt, dead skin cells and oil without spending a single penny for a salon-like effect then head for your kitchen pantry.
Many ingredients — like honey, curd, milk, eggs, fruits, and spices — available at home are ideal for face packs. Fresh home ingredients leave the skin refreshed and glowing. With home-made packs, allergic reactions are rare. These can be easily mixed into a face pack.
Many other ingredients can be added like rose water, dried and powdered orange and lemon peels, ground almonds, oats, wheat bran (choker), gram flour, chocolate, wine and so on. Applying such ingredients can actually nourish and revitalize the skin powerfully, while others, like tulsi, neem, fenugreek, cinnamon, sandalwood and turmeric have antiseptic, healing and soothing properties. Here are a few home-made packs:
Make a cold infusion of Hibiscus flowers by allowing them to stand overnight in cold water, in a ratio of one to six. Crush the flowers next morning. Strain and keep the water. Mix the flowers with 3 teaspoons of oats, 2 drops of tea tree oil and add the water to mix into a paste. This hibiscus pack helps to cleanse, refresh and tone the skin, adding a glow. Apply on the face and wash off after 20 to 30 minutes.
Take honey and yogurt and add a few tablespoons of red wine. Apply this on the face and leave it on for 20 minutes. Rinse with plain water. This softens and moisturises the skin, removes tan and also adds a glow.
Avocado pulp can be mixed with aloe vera gel and applied on the face to nourish and moisturise the skin. Wash off with plain water after 20 minutes. Fresh and raw avocado should be used. Avocado contains about 20 vitamins and minerals. It is rich in antioxidants, which help to delay visible signs of ageing.
Mix cucumber and ripe papaya pulp with curd and two teaspoons of oats. Lemon juice can also be added. Apply on face and neck. Wash it off after half an hour. It helps in removing tan and brightens the skin.
Allow marigold flowers to stand in warm water overnight. Add yogurt and sandalwood paste and mix together to make a smooth paste. Apply on the face avoiding the lips and area around eyes. Wash it off after 20 minutes. Marigold has a soothing and germicidal effect on skin irritation and eruptions. It may be used to control pimples and rashes. It has an astringent effect, reducing oiliness and closing the pores. It is ideal for normal to oily and combination skin.
For dry skin, add red wine to aloe vera gel and dried milk powder. Apply on the face and wash it off after 20 minutes.
Mix together three teaspoons of cocoa powder and 2 teaspoons of oats with egg white and one teaspoon each of honey and curd. Adjust the ingredients so that it is a thick paste that does not drip.
If it is too thin, add more cocoa powder. To make it thinner, add more curd or milk. For dry skin, add egg yolk. First cleanse the skin and then apply the mask, avoiding the lips and area around eyes. Wash it off after 20 to 30 minutes with plain water.
